…the stills & prose of our family days.

Monthly Archives: July 2011

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Sunday Still Life is an attempt to capture the beauty and the depth of busy days in a slow and simple way. If you feel inspired, join Erin, here. Keep it slow. Keep it simple.

We just had figured out that the Quail was big enough to ride this little trike. Not only did she stay on for the ride, she managed to climb off and then strut proudly off to a “Stayin Alive” style toddle as her biggest fans cheered her on. Way to go Quail-ee!

3. A sweet children’s museum that allows for line of site monitoring when everyone has their own ideas what they want to play

4. a family swim

5. the wait

6. a new restaurant with a yummy salad

7. a house filled with tickle-monsters

8. rascalin & monstering

9. the nut-bar 4 year old who not only pretends she is having a baby as her favorite pretend game, but then pretends the treehouse tent is momma’s tummy and that she and her sister are being born.

10. said nut-bar taking the next evening to pretend she is shopping at the pet store and spies a sick monkey who needs her care and then proceeds to carry around the monkey, who intermittently throws-up and cuddles her, sleeps in a night-cap and is all better and ready for school the next day.

11. an ice-cream social

12 a new doctor

13. the part of the tooth I thought came out during lunch really just being a piece of grit- gross but good!

14. flattery

15. early preparation

16. a little 2 year old initiating hide-and-seek with a big grin when Momma shows up at school

17. the kind of hide and seek where the hider truly believes because they aren’t looking at you they are hiding

18. the tickle-monster

19. the verbal explosion of the 4 year old at the end of the day- I didn’t pull down Olivia’s pants today Momma! She wasn’t here!. Gee. Let’s try not doing that when she is here. Baby steps I guess

Wherever I am, there’s always Pooh,
There’s always Pooh and Me.
Whatever I do, he wants to do,
“Where are you going today?” says Pooh:
“Well, that’s very odd ‘cos I was too.
Let’s go together,” says Pooh, says he.
“Let’s go together,” says Pooh.”What’s twice eleven?” I said to Pooh.
(“Twice what?” said Pooh to Me.)
“I think it ought to be twenty-two.”
“Just what I think myself,” said Pooh.
“It wasn’t an easy sum to do,
But that’s what it is,” said Pooh, said he.
“That’s what it is,” said Pooh.

“Let’s look for dragons,” I said to Pooh.
“Yes, let’s,” said Pooh to Me.
We crossed the river and found a few-
“Yes, those are dragons all right,” said Pooh.
“As soon as I saw their beaks I knew.
That’s what they are,” said Pooh, said he.
“That’s what they are,” said Pooh.

“Let’s frighten the dragons,” I said to Pooh.
“That’s right,” said Pooh to Me.
“I’m not afraid,” I said to Pooh,
And I held his paw and I shouted “Shoo!
Silly old dragons!”- and off they flew.

“I wasn’t afraid,” said Pooh, said he,
“I’m never afraid with you.”

So wherever I am, there’s always Pooh,
There’s always Pooh and Me.
“What would I do?” I said to Pooh,
“If it wasn’t for you,” and Pooh said: “True,
It isn’t much fun for One, but Two,
Can stick together, says Pooh, says he. “That’s how it is,” says Pooh.

I had early on the brain this weekend during our little mountain retreat. Weeding out what I wanted to share that fit the topic. For most people early on vacation means dreams and soft snores. Someday we may find that is the case for us as well. For now, our enthusiastic little clan takes full advantage of the early. And rightfully so, with small ones, early means fresh, chipper, crisp and a whole new outlook for the day. And if you are one of us or with us, it most likely means the sound of coffee brewing and being transferred to a travel mug while we map out which bakery will be our first stop for the day. Our favorite mountain get-a-way is a little lodge that offers up a lake with canoes, a pool and a short drive to two of our favorite donut and pastry makers in the Blueridge Mountains.

Early means a greeting by a glassy, still lake on your way to the car to round up up the mornings’ donuts and coffee. Yes with a travel mug in hand. While we may partake in early, it doesn’t come naturally or easy!

We hurry back to our little lodge to relax on our porch with said coffee & donuts to breathe in the fresh mountain air and local flora.

When the coffee and donuts is finally done and the hot summer sun has hit an early peak, we hea off to the pool to cool off, because this year, even in the mountains, the heat gets up early as well.

Once upon a time, there is a little girl who is 4 years old, her name was Zuzu Dora the Explorer. And then no one came. But then, Dora heard someone, it was just her backpack. She didn’t know what to do to find the people. Then she said, ” Oh they are at school!”. And then she went to school and then she saw her cousin Diego and then she saw her friend Boots. And then she found her baby girl and her baby boy and found her Mommy and her Bapi. And then she made a snow angel in the snow. And then she lived happily ever after. The End Again.

While this flower in bloom may not look like much to anyone other than me, I assure you it is something special. When Lovey and I married almost 11 years ago, I carried gardenias & white roses. When we bought our first house, one of my dearest friends bought us a gardenia to plant in our yard. It hasn’t produced since the day the last bloom withered from the original set. This spring my parents came to help celebrate all the joy that is a 4 year old in her dance recital prime and over the course of the weekend they helped us to do a little yardwork. Do you know how much more enjoyable it is to do your yardwork with loved ones rather than on your own? First of all, there is their love- they are willing to do your grunt work just to lend a hand. Then their company- someone to talk to and plan with. Then you have the finished product- a sweet little bush in a happier place that showed it’s first flower in years. Even though most of it’s family has already bloomed. I guess it just wanted to say thank you. And so do I.